PREMONITION
by MaixRu
Summary: several months after Naru and Lin's disappearance, Luella, Naru's mother, decides to invite everyone over in England for the holidays despite Naru's objection. Mai keeps having the same dream every night ever since she arrived at the mansion. How is the dream related to the mansion?
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! I'm back with my second Ghost Hunt fanfiction. I hope you will like it!

I don't own Ghost Hunt.

* * *

The photo.

Chapter 1 : The sudden invitation.

On a cold evening of December, Tokyo was already covered in white snow. It has been six months since Naru and Lin left Japan and flew back to London. Unfortunately, the sudden disappearance of these two caused the separation of the whole crew. Everybody went back to their own routine. Takigawa decided to leave his band and go back to his hometown. Ayako was promoted and now is the head nurse, so she stopped every other activities she had. John went back to England as well and Masako left as soon as she noticed Naru's absence. Mai had it tough these past months because no matter how much she searched, she couldn't find a job. Therefore Yasuhara decided to move in with Mai so they could support each other.

Mai was the most affected by Naru's absence. Not long ago she noticed her feelings for him but she couldn't tell him. She always told herself there will be a day when she will be ready to tell him, but the thought of him suddenly leaving never occured to her. However, why did he leave? Nobody knows why. She kind of wished for him to leave a note or something. But nothing was found in his office, only a picture of him and Gene, his deceased twin. She kept the picture preciously in her drawer and promised to herself next time she meets him, she won't fail to give it back to him. Every time she felt sad, she would look at the picture and cry. Believe it or not, it actually made her feel better afterwards. She liked how in the picture both of them were smiling. Of course, Naru's smile wasn't as wide and Gene's, but it was something. She never showed the picture to anyone, thinking it was her own treasure.

December 4th, last day of school before Christmas Break. The weather was getting colder and colder, Mai feared she would catch a cold during the break, which really suck since she'd planned to have fun and forget about everything. As soon as class ended, she jumped out of her chair, hurriedly shoved her things in her bag and ran to the entrance. In front of the school barrier, she saw Yasuhara standing. She giggled at the funny face he was making. He couldn't stay still because of the cold, his nose was running and his cheeks showed a pale shade of pink. She yelled his name and waved at him. He waved back at her, although not as cheerful as her.

" Thank god you hurried this time, It's freezing." He said. She scanned him from head to toe before answering, " Look at you, you're not even wearing a scarf. No wonder you feel cold!" She scolded him shaking her head.

" But it's not cool, I need to look good everytime I come fetch you, otherwise your male classmates would always try to flirt with you." He said, winking at her.

She laughed at his comment," Nonsence. Alright let's go home, I'll make you some tea to warm you up."

'' Good idea." then he continued after a small moment of hesitation'' I'm sure Naru wouldn't be pleased seeing us being all lovey dovey." He wrapped his arm around her neck, making her stumble a little. " I'm sure he wouldn't even care." She answered. He glanced at her, a gentle smile on his face. " Mai." She looked up at him. " I see you're doing better now since you just talked about Naru easily." He stated. She looked down on, meditating on his words before answering, " I don't have a choice now, do I?" She simply said. Yasu decided to leave it at that and just nodded. afterwards, the walk to their apartment was awkwardly quiet.

* * *

It was bed time in the Davises's house. The married couple, Martin and Luella already went to bed. Lin and Madoka were downstairs watching a movie - Lin didn't particularly agree but he's powerless in front of his partner. Naru was in his room laying on his bed. His eyes were shut but he wasn't sleeping. He was thinking about something - rather someone - he didn't want to think about. He never told them why they left. The reason was mostly because Luella wanted her son back, she missed him so she wanted to see him. But the real reason was Naru started developing unwanted feelings towards this petite girl and he thought this was the good opportunity to get rid of these feelings. What a stupid move, he thought. Where did his manners go? He should've at least said something, but instead he left a photo. Now that he thinks about, it looked like a farewell. However, is it really? He had no idea. It's been six months and he's still thinking about her. No matter how many beautiful English women he could get, it wouldn't do. Mai was one of a kind. She was perfect for him but like always he didn't know how to keep dear people beside him. He shook his head to clear his mind of all these weird and depressing thoughts. He already decided to forget about her, he didn't need love. He'd always thought that love was nothing but a bother. Something so irrational, which was the complete opposite of his self. He could not back down now. Mai now was merely a memory and it shall stay this way.

Lin once mentioned the SPR crew to the Davis couple and didn't fail to mention how Naru created an unexpectedly strong bond with them, although Naru didn't like to admit it. Martin Davis asked Lin to always report to him anything, and since this was quite an unusual thing, he decided it was wise to let him know. In fact, he was right to tell them. The couple, especially Luella was very happy to hear it especially since Naru never showed any emotion after his brother's disappearance. Even now, he became quite gloomy and even worse that before. Now they understand why, and Luella was sure to change it.

The next morning, the gathered round the table on breakfast and Luella decided to announce her decision since everyone , including Madoka , was there.

" Everyone, listen carefully." She started after waiting for everyone to finish their meal. " Since Christmas is near, I would like to invite the SPR crew to stay with us for the holiday." She announced cheerfully. Madoka jumped in joy and agreed immediately. She was fond of them, especially Yasu and Mai. Lin didn't show any reaction, he simply nodded. Naru's eyes widened in shock. He placed his cup of tea on the table and looked at his mother. " I am against this.'' He said simply. Luella rolled her eyes at his reply. " Of course you are, Oliver. But I am your mother and if there is anything I could do to make you happy, I will."

" You're worrying for nothing, mum. I don't need any help because I'm not asking for it. Therefore, you shouldn't feel the need to invite those people."

Naru's reply made Madoka frown in anger. " 'Those people' you say? Those 'people' Naru, are your friends. The only people you know, beside from your family, that genuinely care for you.'' She basically yelled. Lin placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her down and make her sit back down on her seat. Luella sighed and looked at Naru. " Oliver dear, get a hold of yourself." She said before adding, " You can't change my mind anyway, I already sent the plane tickets and they will arrive in three days."

Naru didn't add anything on the subject, excused himself and walked to his room.

* * *

"What is going on?" Mai asked Yasu. She stood, dumbfounded, next to two empty luggage in their small living room.

" We're all going on a vacation, Mai dear." Yasu answered, a wide grin on his face.

Before Mai could argue he said, " You can't refuse because I already have the tickets.'' He showed the tickets in his hand.

" The flight is tonight so you better run into your room and prepare packing." He started whistling as he closed the door of his room behind him, leaving a shocked Mai pinned on her spot.

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I am not planning on adding a case in this story, but it might change.

Thank you for reading and please review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys! this is chapter 2, I hope you will enjoy it :) Thank you for all the follows and favorites! Please don't forget to review at the end! ~

* I do not own Ghost Hunt.

* * *

The photo.

Chapter 2 : The meeting.

Mai started packing her things. She is still confused about how all this happened so fast. When did Yasu buy those tickets? When he said " we ", did he mean everyone else included? why of all places England? Of course, to visit Naru, but why? He left them without notice so she couldn't find any reason why. She let out a long sigh as she stood up, and walked towards Yasu's room. She knocked on the door and walked it without waiting for his reply. She noticed the mess in his room, all his clothes were on the floor, like if he got burglarized. Before saying anything, Yasu wrapped his arms around Mai.

" Mai! Good timing, I don't know what to pack. Nothing I have has the 'London' feeling to it." He said dramatically. The young lady rolled her eyes and broke free from his embrace.

" Stop it, who cares anyway? More importantly, where are we going to stay? Did you think of that?" She asked after remembering why she came here for.

" At the Davises's house, of course" He answered, like if she asked a stupid question. She looked at him, shocked, "What?" She yelled. He walked to the other side of the room and pulled out a paper from the drawer. " I received this letter from Naru's mother last night.'' He handed the letter to Mai.

She looked at him, a bit irritated. '' And you decided to show me this letter now?", he just shrugged so she looked down on the paper and started reading. After she read it, she was a bit confused because the writing was in English and she could not exactly understand every word. Nevertheless, she understood a few parts, which was enough for her to understand the main situation. She handed the letter back to Yasu, '' So we're staying there for the whole break?'' He looked at her with his infamous smile," Yes miss, indeed we are." he added," isn't this exciting ?"

She rolled her eyes but didn't hate the idea. She smiled back at him, deciding it was no use to be upset about the matter. She should kindly accept the invitation andleave the Naru matter for later. " I admit I am excited, I mean we're going to London! It doesn't happen every day," then she added, '' specially not in my life.'' She let out a nervous laugh as she scratched the back of her head.

''Well now it did, so I hope you are not mad at me anymore. About that...'' he looked at his watch, '' We have one more hour, so I hope you finished packing.''

'' Almost done! But I will be ready in an hour.'' She said before exiting the room. She went back to her room, feeling happier now. She only had a few more clothes to pack before heading off to her bathroom. She picked up her tooth pace and tooth brush. For her airport clothes she decided to wear something comfortable for the plane so she wore a pair of warm black leggings and an oversized salmon pink turtle-neck sweater. The sleeves were a bit too long so she folded them once and finally closed her luggage. She grabbed her bag and put the tooth brush as well as the tooth pace in it, put her cell phone and the charger the first book of Harry potter. After watching the movies, she was interested in reading the books so she bought the first one in English of course. She thought it would help her practice her English. When she dragged her luggage out in front of the door, next to Yasu's, she suddenly thought of something. She ran to the kitchen, glanced at the time and thought she had enough time to make tea. After making it, she picked out two thermoses , filled them with hot tea and then placed them in her bag. She heard Yasu's voice through the room, " Mai, it's time!" , ''Coming!'' she yelled before shutting the kitchen's lights off and running to the the front door. Yasu scanned Mai before asking, '' aren't you forgetting something ?'' She looked at him, confused at first and then lights sparkled in her eyes. " My passport!'' She ran into her room and thirty seconds later, she was back in front of Yasu. He smiled at her. '' All set? Let's go now!" He said as he put his fist up in the air.

* * *

The friends arrived safely at the airport and easily sent their luggage. Now they headed to the waiting area for the flight. Both scanned everyone, looking for their old friends they haven't seen six months ago. When they arrived in their wing, they heard a familiar voice. They looked at each other, smiling, before turning around to Ayako and everyone else. Everyone was able to go, even Masako, who claimed to be busy at first but when she heard the name Davis she agreed right away. Of course, Mai was a bit bothered by the fact that Masako was coming, knowing that it won't be all pink and easy with her around, but she was part of the crew as well. Hopefully, Masako would think the same way. Mai waved at the group as they walked towards them. Ayako spotted her first. The smiled and waved back. Takigawa stood up and pulled Mai in a bear hug, almost choking her. '' I'm so happy to see you, kid!" Mai giggled and hugged him back. '' me too, Monk-san!'' He let her go and went to his next victim. '' Hey kid number two!" He greeted Yasu with a tap in the back, which was like a punch for Yasu because he jumped up and grimaced. ''Good to see you too, Takigawa.'' He said as he punched him back, but the reaction wasn't what he was expecting. ' What is this guy made of, seriously?' Yasu thought to himself. They greeted everyone else warmly - maybe not Masako because she looked like she was pissed, just seeing Mai there - and sat down. Ayako started talking about her work, of course Takigawa interrupted her as much as he could just to piss her off, which was amusing to watch for everyone. Masako was quiet in her corner but she didn't miss one word from her old co-workers. Sometimes, she would attempt a few glares to Mai but she never noticed her. She looked like she was in such a good mood, she could fly to the clouds. Half an hour later, they heard the boarding message so everyone stood up and lined up in the line of people taking the same flight. Mai couldn't stay still with excitement. She was both excited and nervous and didn't know what to make of it. She was filled with positive and negative energy. She was happy to meet Naru again but nervous on the same time because she had no idea how bad his reaction would be. She hoped he would be a little happy to see her. On the other hand, she will meet his parents, the Davises. She's heard of them a lot from Yasuhara whom was pratically a fan and knew almost every single work Martin Davis has done. She looked at everyone with a smile on her face. ' It was the right decision.' She didn't regret going on this trip since every one was able to come, just seeing their happy and excited faces made her happy too.

When the boarding was over, everyone found their seats and luckly, they were all in the same row. Mai and Yasuhara first, behind them were Takigawa and Ayako and then Masako and john. The monk and the miko were fighting about the arm rest, John already pulled out his bible and started reading it, Masako simply closed her eyes. Mai and Yasu couldn't wait for the plane to fly because it was both their first time getting in a plane.

"So." Yasu started an hour later, " Are you excited to meet Naru again?" He asked the unwanted question. He was whispering because everyone was sleeping, since it was pretty late. She meditated on the question and finally answered '' Yes and no, I know it's not going to be easy to talk to him again." She handed him the thermos of Tea she prepared for him and took a sip in her nodded in thank you, " Of course, I can't wait to see his reaction though." Mai glared at him and rolled her eyes. " Whatever Yasu, let me sleep now." She turned away and closed her eyes, ignoring Yasu's whining.

The next day at the Davises' house, Luella and Madoka were running all over the house, getting ready to welcome their guests. It's only a matter of hours now before Mai and the other arrived in the airport. Lin was in charge to come pick them up, accompagnied by Madoka, Martin and Luella would welcome them warmly and Naru, well, he will be in his room doing whatever he was doing since Dawn. He wasn't able to sleep because of the situation so he decided to get some work done to calm himself. ' How am I supposed to face her?' I haven't sent any letter since then, how would her reaction be. Angry? Sad? Happy? Definitely not that.' He thought. He shook his head. It wasn't Naru's nature to think so irrationally like that. But, whether he likes it or not, he knows well enough that this girl still has an effect on him and he couldn't deny that. He decided that when he will see her, he had to stay composed and showing no emotion. He looked at the time, and noticed it was soon time so he jumped in the hot shower.

Now only a few minutes before the plane reached the ground. Mai was woken up by the warm sun coming through the little window. She was able to see England, it looked so small but beautiful. She looked over her shoulder and saw the sleeping Yasu, she shook him gently. He let out a sleepy growl and opened his eyes a little. " What?" He mumbled. Mai smiled at him," We are almost there, Yasu!" she said. He suddenly sat up straight and peeked through the window. " Finally!" He said as her turned around, " Guys, wake up!" Masako was the only one awake, and didn't bother waking John. After a few attempts of waking everyone up - specially Takigawa- they were all wide awake now.

Lin and Madoka were already at the entrance, waiting for their friends to come out. Lin, as usual was standing straight but his eyes didn't fail to stop at every person who came out of the hallway. After 15 minutes, he finally noticed a familiar face with glasses, Yasuhara. Of course, he didn't miss Lin either, being the tallest of the crowd, and Madoka, the most hyper person. He waved at them and poked Mai, then pointing at them. Mai followed his finger and finally saw the two. She smiled widely, her eyes widening and ran to them. She hugged Madoka first. " Welcome to London, Mai!" Madoka said cheerfully as she squeezed her before letting go. " It's good to see you.'' Mai answered, then bowed deeply to Lin, " You too Lin." He nodded as an answer,a little smile in the corner of his lips. Everyone else greeted Masako and Lin. Mai couldn't resist but to look over the two wondering if Naru came as well. ' What are you hoping for, Mai? Of course he wouldn't bother coming all the way to the airport.' She thought, sighing. " Shall we go now?" Madoka asked, " follow me!" She turned around and everyone started walking towards the exit. The black van was waiting outside for them, Mai noticed it right away. But it wasn't the van who attracted her attention, surely it was massive and black, but that wasn't it. It was the young man with the long black coat and black turtle-neck sweater standing next to it.

" Naru?" She whispered. As their were getting closer, she was able to see the face she wanted to see for so long.

This was chapter two, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review I would like to know your thoughs, any type of comment is appreciated :) Chapter 3 coming out soon! until then :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Here is chapter 3, I hope you will like it! Please review at the end.**

 **Disclamer : I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

 **Enjoy *****

* * *

As she got closer, she was able to see his face clearly; he seemed quite irritated. He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, looking sideways. He finally looked ahead and met Mai's gaze. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the petite girl with a familiar flushed face. He was wondering if he was the one who caused that reaction or if it was because of the cold.'Most likely both', he thought. He glanced at the others fast before settling his gaze on Mai once again. It has only been a few months and he had noticed how Mai changed. She matured. Her hair grew a few more centimeters, touching he shoulders now. She still had the adorable baby face but something about her was different. He shook his head slightly as everyone got closer. " Can't you fix that expression of yours?" Madoka complained. Of course, Naru didn't even consider her comment,he just ignored her. His mother made him go to the airport with Lin and Madoka, thinking it would be rude if he didn't go too. Like always, he couldn't win against his mum so he just gave up. As everyone greeted him, he noticed Mai stepping slightly on the side, avoiding eye contact with him. He anticipated that reaction. He didn't think she would jump out of joy when she sees him, so her reaction was only natural. He decided to leave his pride aside and speak to her.  
" I see you're doing well." He said, as he approached her. Mai jumped as Naru spoke to her for the first time since he left. She slowly looked up at him through her front bangs. Madoka thought it would be better to leave them a bit of space so she mentioned everyone to get in the van. No one argued, of course a few glares were expected from Masako, but she went in as well leaving those two alone. Both stayed still, looking at each other. Mai finally decided to break the silence.  
'' I would say the same thing about you.'' She answered as she put her arms around her, shivering a little. Naru didn't fail to notice that. It was no point in talking now, it was cold and she was probably tired. " Get in the car,'' as he turned around. He stopped for a second and turned his head " or your brain will freeze." He smirked and turn around. She puffed her cheek and followed him into the car. " Still the same jerk." She mumbled as they sat in the car. '' What did you expect?" He whispered so only her could hear him. She felt her face warm up so she turned her head towards the window so he wouldn't see the blush. She wouldn't want him to find another reason to tease her.  
Fifteen minutes passed by and it was quite in the van. In the plane, they didn't sleep enough because of their excitement so now everyone now was sleeping. Naru was reading a book that was unknown to Mai. She wasn't surprised because he would read all the books that she would never imagine herself reading. Naru looked at her as he felt her stare on him. She turned away immediately cursing at herself for getting caught staring. He smiled a little and went back to reading his book.  
''Hey Naru." she whispered.

" What?" He asked without leaving his eyes off the book.  
" Are we there yet?" She asked him.  
He looked at the road for a moment before looking down on his book. " We still have a while to go.'' He said.  
She sighed and nodded. She started to get bored. Everyone was sleeping, Naru was reading and Masako was talking with Lin, she didn't want to interrupt them. She looked out of the window, watching the white trees flying past her. she took out her book from her bag and started reading from where she left of. However, her eye lids started to feel heavy so she finally gave in and fell in a deep sleep, dropping her book on her thighs..  
Naru was still reading when he felt something heavy on his shoulders. He looked down and found Mai's head resting on his shoulder. He froze for a moment, not knowing what he should do in a situation like this. He glanced at her book and frowned. He was a little surprised that Mai brought a book with her. He carefully reached for the book and read the title. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone. He raised his eyebrows, surprised that Mai carried and English book with her. 'It was one of Gene's favorite book series.' He thought, suddenly remembering his deceased twin brother. He put the book back as he sighed. After a few minutes, he heard a sound coming for someone's mouth. He looked at Mai and noticed she was talking in her sleep. He frowned as he bent down closer to hear what she was saying. He could barely understand what she was saying. He was wondering what kind of dream she was having. From the look of her face, it wasn't a pleasant dream. She was sweating lightly and she was frowning. He got even closer so that his ear would be next to her mouth. Suddenly, Mai opened her eyes which made Naru flinch a little. Both were paralyzed. Naru had no idea how to explain this embarrassing position and Mai was trying to figure out why Naru's lips were almost touching hers. Finally, Mai jerked away looking the other side and Naru sat back straight. He cleared his throat and said " You seemed like you were having a bad dream." She stared at him for a second before looking away, very embarrassed even her ears were red. '' I-I don't remember." Naru just nodded, as embarrassed as she was but it couldn't show on his stoic face so Mai had no idea.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! I know there is nothing much going on right now so I didn't write much. To be honest, I still don't know where I am going with this, but surely I will figure it out.**

 **Next chapter coming up soon. For now, PLEASE REVIEW**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone,**

 **I'm sorry for the delay, I had a blank and didn't know what to write. I changed this story's title into '' Premonition.'' After writing this chapter, I thought it suited more the story than the previous title '' The photo.'' Also, I added a case; I think it should make things more interesting than a typical Naru|Mai fanfiction, which what I was trying to go for in the beginning.**

 **Here is chapter 4- Dreams- , I hope you will like it and please review at the end down below. Thank you.**

 **I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

Chapter 4.- Premonition.

DREAMS

They finally arrived to the mansion without problems. However, it wasn't as a pleasant ride for Mai as it was for others. She felt the awkwardness throughout the whole trip. When she woke up from her short nap, she found her face a few centimeters away from the subject of her bad dream. She tried the hide the easiness she felt with embarrassment, and by Naru's reaction, she was successful. While getting out of the car, she played her dream all over again in her head. She was standing – well, floating – in a stranger's room. It wasn't the kind of dream where she was in the person's body but the kind of dream where she could watch from above. She knew from the decorations that it wasn't a traditional Japanese styled room. It looked like a small living room with a fireplace in a corner, and a wide chair beside it. A dark haired man was sitting on the chair, holding a photo in his hands. As she got closer, she recognised the same picture she had, and the man also; Naru. She couldn't describe well the expression he had. It looked like guilt and maybe regret? What on earth made him be this way...or who? Suddenly, he got up, walked to the fireplace and kneeled down. He reached out his hand near the fire and it caught up in the photo. It was burning up slowly; Gene's face was slowly disappearing. He stared at the picture with cold and empty eyes. '' _This is for the best._ '' He said before dropping the photo on the floor. The fire caught up in the carpet, the chair, thus everything in the room. Mai cried his name over and over again but it was in vain, he couldn't hear her. She started coughing hard, smoke invading her lungs. Before she woke up, she saw something very strange. It seemed like something was protecting Naru form the fire. Or was it just her imagination?

''Mai! '' She turned to the voice that brought her back to reality. ''Yes?'' Ayako sighed at the scene. '' What are you doing standing all by yourself over there?'' Mai had no idea what she was talking about. She looked around and found herself next to a window that seemed to be in the lower storey of the mansion. She was at least 10 meters away from the group and she had no idea how she got there and specifically why she was standing in front of a dark window. She shook her head and hurried to Ayako. '' Sorry I had my head in the clouds.'' She smiled as she stroked the back of her head. Ayako shook her head and put her arm around the petite girl's shoulders. '' Alright let's go or we'll be left behind in this labyrinth. Seriously are they millionaires or something? This place is huge and we've only seen the outside yet.''

Mai took a closer look around her and noticed how big indeed this place was. Also despite all the snow, this home was dazzling, it gave off warmth. She wondered if she was the only one feeling this way, but when she glanced at Masako, she could tell that she felt it as well. This girl was as sensitive to feelings and emotions as Mai was. Everything Mai felt, Masako did as well. Maybe that was why they didn't get along so well. There was no emotional barrier between them; they could both feel the most hidden emotions in one's heart. Two people with the same ability could be overwhelming for them.

As soon as Madoka rang the bell, a cheerful looking lady answered the door. Everyone was taken aback by her beauty. She was a tall lady with blonde long hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Her eyes were a beautiful clear blue. Her skin was as white as snow. She was wearing and warm and welcoming smile on her face. She mentioned everyone to go inside and slowly, one after one crossed the door and finally everyone was now inside the house all in awe. The interior was a typical English style. A huge chandelier was pending in the heart of the room. Warm sunlight came in through the tall windows located at every corner of the room, brightening the house. Across the room was a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. A set of couches were placed in the left corner and a round table with four chairs around it in the right corner under the wide window. It looked amazing yet simple. Madoka stood next to the lady and scanned everyone's face. '' Guys, this is Mrs. Luella Davis, Naru's mother.'' She smiled at everyone and said '' It's a pleasure to meet you all, thank you for taking care of my stubborn son. '' Naru rolled his eyes at the comment. Everyone laughed, especially Takigawa. Not that he was usually quiet but when he is nervous he would be louder than usual. He commented '' Thank you, Ma'am, for inviting us to you home; it is quite generous of you. And it hasn't been easy with Naru but he's still our dear friend, right Yasu?'' He hit Yasuhara in the elbow, mentioning him to add something. He straightened his back and smiled at Mrs. Davis. '' Yes, he is completely right, Ma'am.'' The two men grinned nervously and sent a few glances to Naru. This one just shrugged and quietly left the room. Mai watched him going upstairs, frowning. '' Rude much.'' She mumbled.

'' My, my, still as impatient as ever, that kid is.'' Said Luella as she shook her head.'' Now, everyone you can call me Luella, it's less formal and friendlier. I've never liked being called Ma'am. It sounds…dull and ages me.'' She laughed lightly. Mai had a very good feeling about this woman, although she still couldn't believe she was Naru's mother. Their personalities are total opposites. She also noticed that she could speak Japanese and thus was impressed by how good her pronunciation was. '' Luella, I think we should let them go and rest a little before dinner, I'm sure they are all tired now and dying to rest their head on a pillow.'' Luella gasped and an apologetic look formed on her face. '' Of course! Walter here,'' an old man that looked like a butler showed up and took everyone by surprise. '' Where did he come from? He popped out of nowhere.'' Yasu whispered to Mai. She shrugged, confused as well. ''… our butler will carry your luggage upstairs to your respective rooms.'' continued Luella. Walter grabbed one luggage each hand and practically flew upstairs. It was surprising how effortless that looked knowing that those were very heavy. Ayako hit Takigawa in the elbow.'' Don't you just stand there and help the poor man.'' She ordered. He replied, '' Yes ma'am,'' in a teasing tone. Without further ado, he grabbed his luggage and Ayako's with the help of Yasuhara and John. '' Madoka, would you be kind enough to show your friends their rooms?'' Madoka nodded, '' of course!'' and then pushed Ayako, Mai and Masako upstairs to the second floor. Mai could count five doors in the right hallway. Ayako's room was the first one in the right. In front was Masako's room and two doors away was Mai's. She went inside and found her small luggage already in her room by the bed. The room was quite simple. A carpet covered the whole floor. The bed was in the right corner, big enough for two. She could see a door in the left side, one on the right and one across the room. She figured that one across was the balcony's door and either of the two was probably the bathroom's. She decided not to go outside in the balcony because it was quite cold so she sat her bag on the bed and went to the left door, which was a bathroom, with her toilet purse. After organizing her things in the bathroom, she walked towards the fourth door in her room, curious. She turned the knob and opened the door slowly. There was another room behind that door. She looked around the room, it was quite simple. On top of the double sized bed were lying white sheets. There was a bookshelf in the corner of the room next to a desk filled up with papers and opened books. Just when she was about to grab a book, she heard a click behind her. She turned around, surprised, and found herself face to face to a tall dark haired man. They both stood at their spot without saying anything, just staring at each other's puzzled faces. Finally, Naru broke the silence and asked, '' Mai, what are you doing in my room? ''

Mai noticed his wet hair so she figured he just came out of the shower. She blushed lightly, no matter what that man did; he always had an effect on her, which until now never changed. She noticed he was still looking at her waiting for her to answer. She cleared her throat and answered while walking towards the door that connected his room with hers. '' I'm sorry; I didn't know it was your room. I was just curious about what was behind this door.''

He looked at her and at the door and then sighed. '' I see, that's the room Madoka chose for you.'' He said as he sat down on the chair next to the desk, clearly annoyed. Mai didn't fail to notice that annoyed tone in his answer which made her heart throb. She mentally cursed herself at her reaction, perfectly knowing Naru had always been this kind of person. What did she expect him to say in this situation? Of course he would be annoyed. She shook her head and answered with not the most honest smile, '' don't worry Naru, now that I know this I won't try to cross the door again. '' She paused and then said, '' It's our barrier,'' in a surprisingly cold voice. Then, she opened the door and paused, '' you should dry your hair if you don't want to catch a cold,'' then closed the door behind her. She rested on the door for a minute.

' _He'd rejected me before; he will do it again now. These feelings need to disappear.'_

Once she set her mind on this idea, she went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and then take a nap before dinner time. However, she wasn't aware that as soon as she rests her head on the pillow, she will be trapped in that same dream again.

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys, first I'd like to thank the people who reviewed on my last chapter, I appreciate it very much.**

 **This is chapter 5. I hope you will like it!**

 **I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

 **Please review!**

* * *

PREMONITION

Chapter 5- Burning

After taking a quick shower, Mai fell asleep as soon as she rested her head on the pillow. She thought she wouldn't be able to fall asleep quickly knowing that Naru was on the other side of the wall, however sleep and exhaustion got the best of her. The next second, she found herself standing in the same room from her previous dreams. Every time, she felt confused, she had no idea what this dream meant and what her role was. The only thing she knew was if she didn't do something – anything – Naru will end up killed by the fire. She also knew that this dream wouldn't end until she saw the rest of it or if someone from the real world woke her up. But she was all by herself in the room. Pained, she watched the scene before her. The picture was burning. And then, everything caught up in fire. Suddenly she felt a sharp physical pain. She shrieked and fell down on her knees curled up in agony. Her skin was burning. She could feel the fire on her skin, which never happened before. If felt like reality, like if she really was in that room, dying. '' _Naru!''_ She screamed. Surprisingly, it seemed like she heard her because he turned around, but his eyes never met hers.

Next thing she knew, she found herself back in her room, shaking like a leaf and covered in sweat. Her vision was still blurry; she blinked a few times to clear her vision. She noticed a body beside her, she couldn't quite see yet as her eyes were still blinded by the powerful fire and her body still ached from the burning pain. She reached out her hand and fell on the person's cheek. '' Who is it?'' She mumbled as her squinted her eyes. He grabbed her hand and held it into his. '' Mai.'' She recognized this voice right away. '' Naru? What are you doing here?'' She asked as she tried to sit up. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head and then remembered the dream. She looked at her arms to see any mark of burning; none. She sighed in relief and put her hand on her forehead. Naru watched her carefully. '' Did you have a dream?'' He asked. Mai shivered at the cold voice. She couldn't look in his eyes after the multiple times she'd seen him around the flames. She brushed his hand off and looked anywhere else but at him.

'' Not really.'' She shrugged her shoulders. Naru rolled his eyes and stood up beside her bed.

'' You were screaming, Mai.'', he stated.

'' It was only a bad dream, I don't even remember it.'' She answered.

He stared at her and finally let out a sigh. '' You're still the same, aren't you?'' he said,'' It's always obvious to me when you are lying.''

She looked at him and his eyes slightly widened. Her eyes were filled with tears. He sat back down beside her, '' you're obviously shaken up Mai, talk to me.'' He said, his tone was a bit softer this time.

Mai shook her head and wiped the falling tears roughly against her cheek.'' Please go away, Naru.''

After a few seconds, he quietly stood up and walked away. He stopped as he opened the door, '' I came to let you know that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes,'' and closed it behind him.

She stared blankly at the door thinking about her dream. She looked at her arm and ran her fingers over, feeling her skin. The pain was real; she thought she was actually dying. She never had this kind of dream when she could feel pain without being in the host. She considered also the possibility that she might've been that host. In other words, she might've been there in that room with Naru when it happened. What does this mean then? That they will burn alive in the near future? ''This can't happen,'' she said to herself,'' I can't keep it to myself.'' She knew the seriousness of this situation, so she couldn't remain quiet too long, but didn't know exactly when and who to tell.

After calming down a little, she got up of the bed, grabbed a pair of black jeans and a long striped sweater and shoved the hem underneath the front button of the jeans. Then, she went to the bathroom and glanced at her face in the mirror before leaving the room. She went down the stairs following the odor of food. Soon she found herself in a wide dining room filled with people. Everyone – except Naru- was sitting around the table. Luella was the first to notice her person,'' Oh Mai dear, come sit right here if you'd like.'' Mai smiled at her and nodded. She said hi to her friends as she walked around the table to sit down on her seat assigned for her. Only when she sat down that a familiar face came in the room and sat down beside her. Without glancing at her, Naru grabbed a glass of water and took a sip. It made her think that she hasn't made any tea since she came in this house. She looked down at her own plate, feeling slightly awkward sitting next to him after what she had told him back in the room. She decided not to let anything get to her tonight and just enjoy dinner with everyone else.

She went back to her room after dinner, he hand rested on her stomach. It has been a while since she had a full meal and ate until her stomach almost exploded. She was feeling quite warm so she decided to go to the balcony for fresh air. She gasped as she looked at the beautiful scenery in front of her. It looked like a white kingdom. She turned around as she heard the door opening. What she saw surprised her.

'' Naru,'' she murmured, '' what are you doing here?''

Naru stepped outside with two mugs, both smoke slipping out. The scent finally reached Mai's nostrils and inhaled it with a smile.

'' I thought you'd want some tea at this time.'' He said as he handed her the mug.

'' Yes, thank you.'' She answered as she gladly grabbed it.

Then, he stood next to her, both watching the view from her balcony quietly. Mai took a sip as she closed her eyes. She slowly swallowed the warm drink and felt warmth inside her. She let out a sigh at that amazing feeling. It was quite cold outside, yet she felt warm and she noticed it wasn't only coming from the drink. She glanced at Naru. Moon light shone against his pale skin and midnight blue eyes. His silky hair looked so soft under the moon. He turned to her as he felt her gaze on him. She looked away feeling warmth going up her face. A small smirk was drawn on his face.

'' Are you cold? Your face is red.'' He asked in a teasing voice.

She shook her head, ''no…'' she began,'' Just a little.'' She finished as she looked down, resting her arms on the balcony's bar. She thought that would be a good reason for her blushing, but deep down she knew he was aware of the real reason and looked like he was enjoying it. He smiled lightly at the honesty of this petite girl. Slowly, he moved closer until their shoulders touched. Mai jumped at the sudden contact and looked at him.

'' You said you were cold.'' He said without looking back at her.

She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out, and closed it again as she looked in front. She remained silent, thinking about this sudden behavior. It made her heart skip a beat but it weren't allowed to anymore, at least not because of this person. Her eyebrows drew a deep frown on her forehead. She suddenly remembered her strange dreams. '' _Should I tell him?''_ She thought. Obviously intrigued, Naru noticed Mai's unusual silence.

'' What is it, Mai?'' He asked, a bit softly.

She hesitated for a while before finally answering. '' I don't understand it myself,'' she let out a sigh,'' It's never happened to me.''

He shifted to face her, his elbow supporting his weight. '' What exactly do you mean?'' He asked.

'' I've been having… quite disturbing dreams, every night.'' She murmured.

She looked down as she felt her eyes watering and held her trembling hands together. Mai's odd behavior worried Naru.

'' Go on.'' He insisted, in a rather cold voice.

She touched her arm, '' this burning sensation, I still feel it…'', words couldn't come out of her mouth as she tried to hold in her tears.

'' What are you saying Mai?'' He asked as he placed his hand on hers that's stroking her arm.

Suddenly, she jerked her hand away, as if she got burnt. She looked at him, her eyes tearing up. Naru was surprised by her sudden tears.

'' Mai?'' He asked as he took a step towards her.

She took a step down and looked away, wiping her tears with the hem of her sweater.

'' I'm sorry Naru but I'd like to sleep, can you get out of my room? '', she asked and then added,'' also forget what I just said, It's nothing important, just silly dreams.'' She forced a smile, but he didn't return it.

'' You're kicking me out again, huh?'' He said sharply.

Mai was surprised by how cold his eyes were. She had almost forgotten the last time he looked at her that way. Without further words, he left her alone in the chilly balcony. She remembered early that she indeed told him to let her be. She cursed at herself for being so rude and hard on him. '' _Why can't I have a normal conversation with him without messing things up?''_ She let out a long sigh and went inside as well. After brushing her teeth, she changed into her pajamas and lied down in bed. This time, she couldn't sleep right away. So many things were on her mind. All those things had one thing in common; Naru. Finally, she fell asleep of exhaustion. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and found herself trapped in the same dream again. '' _Oh no… Not again._ '' She whispered in horror.

Naru was already in bed, reading a book when he suddenly heard Mai's piercing shriek across the room. He jumped out of bed and ran to her room. He opened the door she shared with her room and looked towards her. He noticed the room was abnormally warm. She was screaming and curling up in her bed like if she was in agony. He kneeled beside her and called out for her. ''Mai? Wake up!'' No response. He called her name louder, '' Mai!'', still no response. She kept letting out painful screams and moving on the bed. Naru put his hands on the side of the bed and got closer. Suddenly, Mai's hand fell on Naru's. He jerked his hand away, surprised. '' You're burning.'' He stated. She was so hot he couldn't touch her anywhere. He glanced at his hand. '' Nothing.'' He murmured. Although, he felt like Mai's skin burned his.

He started at her, frowning. '' _What's happening in your head, Mai?''_ He thought. Suddenly, Mai stopped screaming and moving.

She opened her mouth and mumbled, '' I'm dying, again.''

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Please leave a review below, I appreciate it a lot.**

 **Until then!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 - DECISION

'' I'm dying again'' Whispered Mai.

Naru stared at her quite shocked, not knowing what to do. She suddenly became still like doll, like if she died in her dream. He touched her cheek slowly to see if she was still burning, and when he confirmed it he held her by the shoulders and shook her lightly. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times to clear her view. A concerned face appeared relatively close to her. She frowned and slowly sat down, escaping from Naru's grasp.

'' Naru, what are you doing here?'' She asked as she held her forehead. She felt pain piercing through her head.

'' You were having quite a horrible dream.'' He said,'' in fact, it didn't seem like just nightmare at all.'' He stated.

She looked in his eyes, seeing concern but also annoyance. He knew something was going on with Mai, and as stubborn as she was, she didn't want to say a word about. But why wouldn't she tell him? ' _Because you lost her trust by disappearing from her life.'_ A voice inside him answered his unspoken question. He looked back closely at Mai, waiting for her response. He clicked his tongue in impatience and stood up hovering around the room. Mai looked down. She wasn't ready to tell him just yet. She couldn't explain something that she didn't understand herself. Why did she have this dream every night? How was Naru protected by the fire? Why was she painfully affected? Why did she die in this dream?

' _The locked room.'_

Suddenly, she looked around the room in shock. She heard a voice. It sounded like a whisper so she couldn't quite know to whom it belonged. Naru stopped walking around and looked at her.

'' What's wrong?'' He asked.

'' Did you hear something?''

He paused and listened. '' No, I didn't hear anything'', he started at her,'' did you, perhaps, hear something?

She shook her head,'' no… I think I'm just really tired.'' She said.

He glanced at the time, it was quite late. He sighed. '' Mai, I know something is going on. The sooner you tell me what is wrong, the sooner you feel better. You know where to find me. Sleep well.'' Then, he left the room and closed the door behind him. Mai stared long at the door before getting up and heading to the bathroom. She washed her face and looked at her reflection through the wide mirror.

'' What is happening to you, Mai?''

She looked like she ran a marathon. Deep bags were traced under her eyes. She looked pale and frail like if she could lose consciousness at any moment. Suddenly, everything became black. She jerked her head in all direction, staring at the sudden pitch black, panting. Then, flashbacks started playing in front of her eyes. She saw herself burning to the flesh, crying, yelling. She saw Naru standing in front of her, watching her burn with his stoic face. Never in her dream did he help her. This was partly why she could not tell him. She felt like he could not be trusted. But why Naru? The agony she felt caused her nose to bleed. She touched her nose and felt blood on her finger. Suddenly, she felt another sharp pain in her head and the room started spinning. Her legs buckled and she collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

The next day, she found herself lying on her own bed in her room. She found Ayako sitting on the bed beside her. She looked relieved as she saw her gaining consciousness.

'' Thank goodness Mai! You scared us.'' She sighed in relief.

''What happened?'' Mai asked, puzzled.

'' Luella came to wake you up and you didn't seem to answer the door, so she permitted herself to come in. Then, she found you lying on the bathroom floor, bleeding from your nose. She was frightened you know,'' She shook her head.'' You were so still, she thought you were dead.'' She said in a softer voice.

'' I should go and apologize to her.'' Mai said, her voice was so weak it was almost a whisper. She tried to get off bed but Ayako stopped her by the shoulders and pinned her on the bed. She could not fight against Ayako's strength, as she was as lifeless as a robot. The horrifying dream sucked the life out of her. Ayako let her go as she noticed Mai's obedience. She ordered her to stay in bed and rest until her next visit. Then, she walked to the door and closed it behind her. Mai remained in the same position for several minutes. Her mind was filled of thoughts about the dream and the incident. She was starting to feel less sane. This mansion was filled with mysteries, exactly like their owners. Suddenly, she heard a soft knock on the door and Naru walked across the room and took a seat on the chair beside her bed. He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his fist. He stared at her without saying a word. He noticed how Mai looked unusually fragile, he face was pale and her usual bright eyes were darker. She returned the stare as she waited for him to break the silence. He kept on looking at her as if he was trying to read what was on her mind. However, her mind was as empty as air, for as her head churned and felt dizzy.

"Talk to me, Mai."

Mai's expression did not change, but soon after, her eyes started watering until she finally broke into tears. She was crying so silently though, not a sob was heard. Naru flinches by seeing how much Mai was in pain. She looked lifeless. No matter how hard he thinks, he could not figure out what was the cause of all this. She had only been here a few days, however, he noticed something was off with her since the first dinner. Then, it hit him.

"Are you having dreams again?" He asked.

She shook her head, "Not those kinds of dreams. It's not something that happened in the past nor am I in somebody's body, but…" She took a long breath before continuing, "It seems like I am living that dream and I die every time." She looked at him with a piercing look, "And above all, I had the feeling that you were the reason of my own death."

Naru held his breath shortly after hearing her words. Although he did not show it, he was deeply confused as to why she had that feeling. Somehow, Mai knew exactly what he was thinking. Thus, she decided to tell him all about her dream. While doing it, Naru's expressions did not change much; instead, it only got darker and darker. The only question he had asked himself why she had waited this long to tell him something as urgent as this. He looked at her more closely; she looked like she lost weight. He sighed and sat beside her on the bed. She looked at him and frowned. He slightly touched her cheek with the back of his hand.

"You don't look healthy Mai."

"I'm fine." She brushed his hand off.

He clicked his tongue at Mai and grabbed her hand in mid-air. "Just look at yourself; I can see your cheek bones, you eyes have no spark anymore, and you tell me you are fine?" He rolled his eyes in irritation,"since when did you start lying to me? You were not like this before-"

"Exactly! This was before, it's all different now." She looked in his eyes, "Clearly, you are still stuck in the past." Naru's eye twitched at her last sentence. He let go of her hand and stood up straight. "You are mistaken, there is nothing different now. You are changing; these dreams are changing you." He looked straight in her eyes, "If you let me help you, stop being defensive towards me. If not, you better find a way to help yourself. Otherwise, you will be eaten whole by this dream of yours." He turned around, silently walked to the door that linked his room to hers and grabbed the door knob. Before he opened the door, he turned his head until Mai could only see his profile, and said "One last thing. From what I see, I am not the one killing you. You are. You're slowly killing yourself." He entered his room and closed the door behind him, leaving Mai petrified.

Her eyes watered as she thought about his words. He realized that he was right. Isolating herself from everyone, refusing Naru's help will drive her to death. She needed his help. She could not stay like this any longer. She felt hungry, thirsty, and lifeless. But she was afraid to involve him with whatever that was happening to her. What if her dreams came true?

"Premonition?" Mai whispered.

She clenched her fists. She needed to do something. She jumped out of the bed and, after hesitating for a few seconds, opened the door and suddenly found herself face to face to Naru. He was standing there as if he knew she was going to come to him.

She took a long breath and put her clenched hand on his chest, grabbing his shirt firmly. He didn't budge but simply looked at her, waiting for her to say the words.

"Help me."

His expression softened at those words.

"Took you long enough."

* * *

 **Hi everyone! Sorry for the very late update, I haven't had the time to write because of college. I hope you liked this chapter, please leave a review!**

 **Thank you,**

 **S.S** J

 *** I do not own Ghost Hunt.**


	7. Chapter 7

Hello all! I apologise for this chapter being relatively short, however there it is.

I hope you will enjoy it, and please comment below!

Thank you,

S.S.

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PREMONITION – CHAPTER 7

The next day, Naru gathered everyone in his office in the basement to talk about Mai's matter. Mai expected their reactions. They were mostly angry at her for not saying anything until now. However, she explained that it took her time to even understand what was wrong with her, and thought that it would be useless to speak about it if it were not something urgent or even to worry about.

"When did you start getting those dreams?" asked Lin.

" On my first night here."

" I see, precognition. That surely means that the dreams are related to the mansion, don't you think so?"

Mai looked down at her hands placed on her knees.

"Yes. Sometimes I hear things too."

Everyone looked at her, and waited for her to continue when Naru interrupted her," I recall last night you asked me if I had heard something." It wasn't exactly a question, but more like an affirmative sentence. However, Mai still nodded at him.

"And what did you hear exactly?" asked Yasu.

"It was as if something was telling me to go to the locked room."

"The locked room?" This was Masako's voice, which was heard for the first time since the gathering. She glanced at Naru and Lin. They both had the same expression.

"What locked room?" asked Takigawa.

"It's a room down the hall on the second floor, beside Naru's. There used to be a fire." Madoka paused for a moment and looked at Naru," Naru and a girl who used to visit here often were trapped there. Unfortunately, she did not make it."

Mai glanced at Naru before looking back at Madoka.

"If it were an accident, then why does Naru kill me every time in my dream?" Naru's eye twitched at the word. Madoka looked at Mai with an apologetic look, not knowing the answer.

"From what you are telling us, I assume that there is a spirit trapped in that room, and it is trying to reach you through premonitions and precognitions" stated Masako.

"We need to find a way to get into that room", said Yasu.

"But how? As far as I know, every copy of the key has been burned to keep the door closed forever." asked Madoka.

Lin looked at Naru, nodded and then said "It's not a lock. You can't open the door with a key."

Everyone's eyes shifted to Lin, all looking confused.

He sat down straight on a chair, his palms on his knees and cleared his throat.

"The door is sealed by a charm. Dr. Davis made it himself. It is not meant to keep the stranger from coming it, but to keep the dark force from coming out."

Mai felt chills going all over her body from toe to head as she heard his last sentence. She had always felt a heaving presence floating around her. It felt like the whispers she heard were coming from right behind her ear. She runs her fingers on her arms and hugs herself. Everyone was focused on Lin. Naru, nonetheless, did not fail to notice her odd behaviour. Masako did not miss anything either, however, she knew better than to be jealous during that moment. She walked up to Mai and put her hand on her shoulder. As soon as the contact was made, Masako's legs abandoned her and she fell on her knees, petrified. She slowly looked at Mai and whispered " What is going on with you?"

Naru stared at Masako, wondering what might have happened. John rushed to her and helped her back on her feet. Impatient, Naru says, " Explain yourself, Masako." She took and deep breath and closed her eyes as if she was in deep pain.

"I noticed Mai acting oddly, so I thought I could help her feel better by sending her some of my energy, but... That thing I saw..." Naru frowned and nodded at her to continue, "Something is eating Mai's soul, and her body is all burned"

Naru turned to Mai and stared at her. She was looking down on her knees; however, her eyes were empty, as if she was not present in the room. He stood beside her and put his hand on her forehead. However, he jerked his hand away the second he touched her.

"She's burning" He stated, quietly.

Ayako rushed to her side and looked at her directly in the eyes. "Mai, answer me!" She shook her; however, there was no response. She kept looking at Ayako without feeling her gaze on her. She was simply absent.

"Lin."

"Yes"

Lin already knew what Naru wanted him to do. He stood beside Mai, put his fingers on his lips and whistle. The whistle was long and clear. He frowned and hummed.

"Odd. My shikis could not enter. They were blocked by something." He looked surprised, which was a first for Lin, as he never showed any expression.

" _Something?"_ asked Naru, intrigued.

"Yes. I cannot tell what it is. All I know is that it is impossible for my shikis to break the barrier."

Naru sat next to Mai and held her by the shoulders, being careful enough to not touch any skin. She slowly turned her head and faced him. "Mai."

The sound of Naru's voice saying her name sent chills all over her body. She looked at him and smiled at him sweetly. Strangely, her gaze became unrecognizable to Naru. Even though, she was there, right in front of him, it felt like she was gone.

"Kazuya."

Everyone had a shocked expression on their faces when they heard her say his first name. Naru was among them. They looked at her carefully, but confused, at the sudden change.

The next second, their lips were locked. Every single person in this room was petrified, including Naru.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everybody!

I'm back, sorry for the veeeeeery late update.

I hope you will enjoy this chapter, and **please leave a comment** bellow it'd be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

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CHAPTER 7 – REMEMBRANCE

"Mai! What are you waiting for? It's your first day, you can't be late."

Mai woke up with her eyes wide open. Her best friend Yasuhara burst into her room and opened the curtains to let some light in. She glanced at the time and was shocked at the time. She jumped out of the bed and changed as quickly as she could before leaving the apartment with a piece of bread in her mouth and her nagging roommate.

A few days ago, she found a poster saying that the little company above her favorite café needed staff. It was called "Shibuya Psychic Research", since was majoring in psychology, she thought that it would be a good job for her. Besides, she couldn't work in that café forever, even if it was her favorite place, the budget wasn't enough for her to pay all her expanses, including university.

Now she found herself standing in front of the door of her possibly new job. She felt her heart squeezing slightly as she grabbed the door knob and entered, with Yasuhara behind her. She looked around the room and everything was oddly…simple.,. As you enter, there is small table on the side with a bunch of books in Japanese and English. At the end of the narrow hallway, there was a small waiting room. The walls were all white. There were no decorations, and in the left corner, a grey couch in an 'L' was sitting there with two more single couches with a low table in glass in the middle. On the right corner, there was another narrow hallway leading to three doors. As she walked over, a man suddenly surged out of the hallway. Mai backed off, shocked by his appearance. He was at least 1,80cm, wearing a white blouse tucked into his black pants. His hair was neatly brushed in the back with little hair falling on his forehead. His eyes were as black as coal, and he looked fairly composed in his straight position.

"You must be Tachibana Mai, I am Lin, the owner's assistant."

He reached his hand out and Mai grabbed it in a confident way. She had to get this job.

"Indeed, it's nice to meet you Lin!" She said as she shook hands.

The man looked slightly surprised by her cheerfulness and let go of her hand. Of course, she noticed his uneasiness, so she checked herself before introducing her friend.

"This is Osamu Yasuhara, he was hoping to get a part as well."

Yasu walked up and shook his hand.

"Let's skip all the formalities, you can call me Yasu."

Lin stayed quiet, then he led the way to the office to meet the owner. Mai and Yasu shared an awkward glance, but remained quiet. They started walking toward the second hallway to find a closed door. "SHIBUYA KAZUYA" was pinned on the door. It must've been the boss's name. Mai gulped loudly as she was about to enter the room. His name was already intimidating. As Lin opened the door, both three entered to this white room with black and white portraits of unrecognized people pinned a bit everywhere. In the far middle, right under a wide window, there was a long black desk with neat stacked papers. Behind it stood a man with a long black coat, his silky black hair shone under the sunlight. As he turned around, his piercing blue eyes fell on Mai's brown eyes. His features were intriguing. He didn't seem fully Japanese, obviously, with his eye color. His pale skin was like a new-born, his sharp jaw-line popped out the most. The only Asian features he had was the shape of his eyes and his straight hair trimmed neatly. He seemed young, close to Mai's age if not a few years older. She turned 20 a few months ago so he would be at least 21 years old. Beyond his unsettling beauty, she noticed his empty eyes as they captured hers. Why does he look so sad? She thought. She couldn't quite remember how the interview went, whether it was good or bad, but somehow, she got the job. However, she only remembered the unreadable man who was now his boss.

A few days later, she became the busiest person. Because of lack of knowledge, Shibuya would always give her gigantic books to read, she would stay 5 hours in her office reading. Before anything, she was so curious to know more about this man that it distracted her from her work. Naturally, he would always catch her daydreaming, although not being aware that he was the cause of it. You're out of focus again Mai, he'd always tell her. She rolled her eyes every time. And just like that, it became a habit. Unknowingly, they got closer. Lin, his assistant was watching the whole time, he could see the slight change in the young man, and he was pleased. After passing a few psychology tests, the team came to realize – Mai as well – that she had potential in becoming a medium. She proved herself during a particular case when she was able to project herself in another environment through her dreams. Astral Projection in other words. These revelations got Mai and Naru much closer. Naru had the knowledge, Mai had the power. She was able to get through him like no other.

Then, Mai noticed that tingling feeling she'd get every time she'd look at him. She had come to like him.

Oh dear, she thought. Not my boss.

On October 21st, it was Mai's birthday, and at that time she turned 20 years old. However, they were in the middle of case where they needed her help communicating with a spirit through her dreams, as they noticed that was how spirits got in contact with her. Even so, she remembered what day it was, not because it was her birthday, but because that was the day she became an orphan 7 years ago. She noticed Naru looking at her more than usual. He thinks I'm acting weird, just act normal, she said to herself. She didn't need anyone's pity and especially not Naru's. She was making tea when he came up to her, while Yasu and Lin were checking the monitors for any abnormalities.

"Want tea?" She asked.

He nodded.

He leaned on the counter and stared at her, she could feel his curious eyes on her. She tried to ignore it, and ignore the fact that her heart was beating too fast. Stupid heart, she thought. She grabbed two cups and filled them up with green tea – Naru's favorite – and handed one to him. She leaned on the counter beside him and both sipped on their cup silently. The moment was slightly awkward, she couldn't look at him in the eyes. She felt like she would burst out in tears, since the whole she's been having memories playing through her mind. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled into an embrace. Naru put his arm around her head and hid her face with his chest. He looked at his crew, nobody was paying attention to them.

"You know I'm bad with words in these situations." He said.

"Then why are you doing this?" She whispered.

"You wouldn't want other people to see you crying, would you?"

She knew that he was right, so she didn't answer and sobbed silently, grateful for his little but warm affection. Sometimes, she could feel him stroking her hair, and then going back to sipping on his tea. They stayed like this for long minutes, not saying anything, just giving each other comfort. That was how close they were.

MAI'S POV

" _Kazuya"_ I said.

Suddenly, my bodied shifted towards Naru, I held him by the arm and pulled him into a kiss. I held my breath and tried to move away, but my body wouldn't obey me. I, then, realized that I didn't have control over my body. It was like watching a movie. I could watch and hear everything, but I was simply a 'watcher'. I watched Naru's surprised look disappear as it appeared.

"You never called me by my name."

"I'm sick of that stupid nickname" I said as my lips moved on their own.

 _Something has possessed me, Naru!_ But in vain, none of these words came out. Weirdly though, it seemed that the kiss didn't bother him as much as it should've. Was I the only one flustered about this?

 _"It's no use in fighting it, Mai."_

A voice in my head echoed.

"I've fully taken possession of your body."


End file.
